1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanisms for assisting new bicycle riders. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and apparatuses that serve as training aids to assist novice bicyclists learn how to balance when riding a bicycle.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Learning how to ride a bicycle is easy for some children, but daunting for others. The real possibility of scrapping one's leg when falling down frightens many children, preventing them from effectively and quickly learning how to ride a bicycle. While conventional training wheels are often used by many, the training wheels become a crutch that the child relies on, thus limiting their progression in learning how to balance on the bicycle. In essence, training wheels serve as a proxy for a tricycle, or other self-balancing human-powered vehicle.
When transitioning from training wheels to a bicycle, the most common practice is for the child to attempt to keep his or her balance, while an adult runs behind the bicycle, holding the seat to maintain stability. There are a variety of conventional techniques to assist the child-adult team achieve their goal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,204 describes an apparatus with a handle disposed at the rear of the bicycle that is easily grasped by the adult when running behind the bicycle. The handle also actuates a set of deployable wheels such that once the child begins to gain enough speed, the adult can lift the wheels allowing the child to ride by his or herself.
Another mechanism, that does not require an adult to run behind the bicycle, is a set of compensating training wheels such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,000. In this assembly, the training wheels are not rigidly attached to the bicycle, but rather can move up or down, based on the amount of tilt by the rider. Likewise, motorbike training devices are known to have similar features, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,930, which also provide an increased amount of resistance for a greater degree of turning.
Learning how to gain one's balance is an often difficult thing to do with a bicycle since the child has not yet developed a sense of balance without the assistance of the training wheels. Therefore, the child may be too timid to pedal the bicycle fast enough to generate sufficient gyroscopic force to help maintain his or her balance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,150 attempts to address this problem by providing a bicycle training apparatus that includes two flywheels powered by a motor. The two flywheels are disposed on opposite sides of the rear wheel of the bicycle and are actuated by hand controls that are suspended underneath of the bicycle's crossbar. When riding the bicycle, the operator reaches underneath the crossbar to actuate the flywheel mechanism.